If you want to start an intense conversation, just mention gas prices. That subject is the talk everywhere. The bottom-line question: What do we the people do about them?

Many state leaders and members of Congress have not gotten the message citizens are trying to send.

Elected officials either never learned Economics 101, or the public has not let those in authority know we need to drill now.

Even though there has been talk of the need for the U.S. to produce its own energy for years, the problem may seem rather sudden to many as it now affects our lifestyle. We are staring at $4-plus gas and even higher diesel fuel prices -- consequently, everything produced and transported for purchase at stores costs more.

The problem is not the oil companies or President Bush -- it is Congress holding the nation captive to foreign oil and painful prices at the pump. I have toured the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay on the northern slope of Alaska. The fowl and animals are prevalent as they enjoy the warmth from the heated oil pipes and they eat the growth from the fields. The drill area of ANWR is a postage stamp as compared to the vast acreage of the reserve. With new technology it is both safe and environmentally friendly to drill. Those opposed to oil have made statements that are misleading on these very issues. Furthermore, Alaskans want the business.

Even if the claim that speculators are affecting some rise in fuel prices was credible, it would not be an issue if liberals in Congress had previously permitted the development of our own energy sources.

Environmentalists and liberals apparently have incomes whereby they are not affected by the inflation they have caused.

The suggestion by Democrats that they will impose so-called windfall-profits taxes on oil companies is beyond being ridiculous. Why aren't they also including other companies -- Coca-Cola, for example, which has a higher profit margin than the oil companies? A windfall-profits tax either would cut into the dividends paid to millions of stockholders, retirement funds, etc., or it would be added to the cost of fuel. Even oil companies must have profits to stay in business -- to provide jobs and meet the economy's need for oil.

If, as a nation, we keep bashing oil companies, they may move their headquarters and investments to other countries with friendlier climates.

Jobs, private and public, are dependent on a thriving and profitable business sector. The engine of business runs on fuel -- derived almost entirely from oil, gas, coal, and nuclear sources.

The minor production environmentalists push --with the help of their friends in Congress and in the media -- from alternative energy (wind and solar) and the savings from conservation is not going to fuel America's economy.

Another important issue we must consider in choosing our leaders is that our national defense is threatened as we continue to depend on oil from unstable and less-than-friendly countries.

With the economic slowdown and so many people being hurt, there should be a frenzy in legislative bodies -- especially Congress -- to lift moratoriums on drilling where we know oil is quickly and economically available. Legislators should be allowing new refineries and nuclear plants to bring prices down -- and should stop sending our dollars to countries that are using them to finance terrorism.

We must now demand to know where our representatives and candidates stand on drilling and utilizing America's abundant resources. Sen. Pete Domenici has introduced the American Energy Production Act. If Congress will approve and the bureaucrats will speed the permitting process, we could have additional drilling of our own supplies in short order. The way to bring prices down is to start now and increase the supply. This alone will bring prices down, as foreign suppliers fear we might actually do something to tap and provide our own energy resources.

As this issue evolves, Senate candidate Mark Warner says it would be appropriate to make surveys of availability of oil and natural gas.

As governor, Mark Warner vetoed a bill for offshore drilling.

Senate candidate Jim Gilmore will push for developing America's energy resources now.

John McCain wants to drill for oil and natural gas offshore now.

Barack Obama said in June on MSNBC that the present prices or higher are appropriate. He is sorry the cost of fuel didn't rise at slower increments for citizens to adjust to it.

Letting our representatives hear from us does get results. Citizens can make a difference with just an e-mail, phone call, or letter. It's not something we can put off.

On Election Day we need to think about whose policies help or hurt the economy and the pocketbooks of we the people. The Constitution begins with "We the People" -- and it's up to us to take our country back from those who have lost touch.

Eva Scott, a Republican from Amelia, became the first woman to serve in the Virginia Senate in 1980.